Improvement in relief-valves for locomotives



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Relief-Valoes for Locomotives.

No. 136,618, PatentedMarch11,1873.

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GEORGE W. RICHARDSON, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN RELIEF-VALVES FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,618, dated March 11, 1873.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEO. W. RICHARDSON, of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Anti-Vacuum or Belief Valves for preventing the formation of a vacuum in the cylinders of locomotive-engines, of which the following is a specification:

The first part of my invention relates to an improvement in the construction of reliefvalves, whereby the steamjoint between the valve and its seat is made durable. The sec 0nd part of my invention relates to the connectionbetween therelief-valves and the steamchests and cylinders of locomotive-engines, whereby heated atmospheric air is introduced into them in order to prevent the loosening of their steam-joints bythe introduction of cold air, and to prevent the accumulation of water by condensation on the readmission of steam into the chests and cylinders.

Figure l is a plan of my improved relief; valve viewed from beneath. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same in the line a: m, Fig. 1, excepting the valve itself, which is shown in elevation. Fig. 3 shows two of my reliefvalves with the connection between them and the steam-chests and cylinders of a locomotiveengine.

A is the valve, which I construct witha balljoint and a spindle, B, which, by working up and down in the sockets or hubs O and O, is kept in position. The wings or brackets D serve to strengthen the shoulder or connection between the valve A and the spindle B. Just beneath the valve A, between the hub G and bush F, I construct spiral wings E. These spiral wings may be constructed on the spindle B itself, either below or above the valve A. The case G and the cap H, against which the top of the spindle B strikes, may be constructed in any desired form. The outlet-pipe I unites the relief-valve to the steampipe K at its top in the smoke-arch, by which the valve is connected with the steam-chests and cylinders. The relief-valve may be united to the dry-pipe of the locomotive at any desired point.

My improved relief-valve, being constructed and connected with the steam-chests and cylinders of a locomotive as hereinbefore described, will operate as follows: Whenever a vacuum tends to form in either cylinder, (and this will 2, through the outlet-pipe I,into the steam-pipe K; here it is heated and passes in this condition into the steam-chests and cylinders alternately, so long as steam is shut off, and, while preventing the vacuum which would otherwise form in the cylinders by being heated, prevents the frequent contracting and expan ding of the steam-chests and cylinders, which would necessarily occur were cold air introduced into them every time steam were shut off with the locomotive in motion. The leaking of their steam-joints which would be occasioned thereby is by this means prevented. The accumulation of water in the cylinders by condensation every time steam is readmitted after running with it shut off, providing cold air has been admitted, is also prevented, and the damage to which thepistonrods and cylinder-heads would be exposed is hereby avoided.

In order to make sure that the air is suflicient-ly heated at all times before entering the steam-chests, I prefer, when the relief-valve is united to the steam-pipe, to have one or more coils in the uniting-pipe within the smokearch, so as to afford additional heating-surface to which the inrushing air may be exposed. The same end may be accomplished by making some portion of .the'smoke-arch double, and by passing the air between the plates either before or after entering the relief-valve.

The current of air rushingin and through the relief-valve is so directed by the spiral wings E that by striking against the valve A the momentum of the air turns the valve about from left to right or from right to left, according as the spiral wings are inclined from left to right or from right to left. By this means the steam-joint between the valve and its seat is rendered durable by the valve constantly seating itself in different places.

I claim as my invention 1. A relief -valve constructed with spiral Wings in the bush or seat or on the valve-stem, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination of .a relief-valve with the steam-pipe, or with the dry-pipe and steampipe of a locomotive, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. A relief-valve connected to the steamchest or cylinder of a locomotive-engine by apipe, arranged substantially as described, so that atmospheric air introduced therein by means of said relief-valve maybe heated while passing through said pipe before enteringthe steam-chest or cylinder, for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

GEO. W. RICHARDSON. Witnesses:

WM. H. POOR, FRED. W. RICHARDSON. 

